Patrick Cooper, left, and William Bell have agreed to four debates before the Jan. 19 runoff vote. (The Birmingham News)
Mayoral candidate Patrick Cooper has proposed a series of four debates between him and William Bell leading up to the Jan. 19 runoff election.

“I’m ready, willing and able,” Cooper said Thursday. “People need to know what he’s done the last 30 years in office” he said, referring to Bell, who is a veteran politician.

Cooper suggested the meetings begin in early January after the Christmas season.

Bell quickly accepted the challenge.

“I’d be happy to debate that guy anywhere, anytime,” he said. “I’m open to whomever, whenever and wherever.”

Cooper missed all but two of the half-dozen forums hosted by community groups during the special election with 13 other candidates. Cooper has said he missed those gatherings because of previous commitments.

Cooper campaign manager Bruce Pettway said four debates was sufficient to inform voters while still not stifling other campaign activity.

“If President Obama had three with Sen. McCain, then four is more than sufficient,” Pettway said. Cooper has proposed two radio broadcast debates and two televised debates.

Bell said the format didn’t matter; all he needed was an invitation.

Bell, who only missed one of the mayoral forums in the special election, said he would continue his commitment to honoring invitations to speak on the issues.

Several groups and hosts are already interested in organizing the face-offs, including Gary Richardson, host of WJLD 1400 AM/104.1 FM’s “Morning Talk.” Cooper also called the radio program Thursday to publicly issue a debate challenge to Bell.

“We’ll call and arrange it,” Richardson said.

Richardson, who favors Cooper in the race, said he would separate his political opinions while hosting a debate on his show.

“I’m a professional,” Richardson said. “I’ve never attacked any guest who has been on my show in the 20 years that I’ve been doing it. I’ve been a gracious host, even if guests and I differ on the issues.”

The debates benefit both candidates, enabling them to highlight their platforms and draw distinctions, said Natalie Davis, a political science professor at Birmingham-Southern College. Davis also moderated a forum hosted by Catalyst at WorkPlay.

“(Cooper) would have an opportunity to first demonstrate that, even if he is the new kid on the block, he knows something and has some ideas that he can deliver on,” Davis said. “And if you are William Bell, you have the chance to reintroduce yourself to voters. He’s got stature and comes off very well.”

And with the race down to two men, Davis said, the debates will turn into a “verbal street fight.”

“We’ll just see who the last man standing is,” she said.

Juandalynn Givan, who served as a moderator for the NAACP mayoral forum at Jackson-Olin High School last week, called debates critical leading to the runoff.

“Not everyone will be able to attend each debate or each forum, but it will give the undecided voter or the one who’s on the fence the opportunity to make a decision,” said Givan, a political contributor to Birmingham View Television on WBAM.

“It’s a new ballgame, the time clock has been set and everybody right now has 15 minutes on the clock.”

One previous host of a mayoral forum called Cooper’s limit of four too restrictive. Tracie Todd, organizer of The Birmingham Roundtable, a group of young voters, expressed her disapproval in an e-mail to the Cooper campaign.

“It is true that President Obama and Senator McCain participated in three debates. However, while not participating in debates, they participated in countless forums and town hall meetings,” Todd wrote in an e-mail to Pettway Thursday. “During these forums and town hall meetings both candidates made themselves available to the people. Furthermore, it must be noted that a debate differs from a forum or panel.”

Givan said the number of debates is less important than the locations of the events. She said the gatherings would reach more people if they are held in different parts of the city and broadcast on radio or television.

“This is such a critical race that every opportunity that the citizens of Birmingham get to hear the candidate they ought to take that opportunity,” she said.